Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday emphasized the importance of international support to end the ongoing conflict with Israel, while firmly rejecting any external interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs. During a meeting with a delegation from the Greek Catholic League, Aoun highlighted Lebanon’s status as a sovereign nation, asserting that no entity has the right to negotiate on its behalf.

According to Anadolu Agency, Aoun stressed his administration’s commitment to building a unified and strong Lebanese state that represents all of its citizens. “The state, not sects, is what protects everyone, and there is no choice but one strong state that represents all Lebanese,” he stated. He acknowledged the existence of political competition as legitimate but warned against allowing it to obstruct the state’s revival, urging unity among the Lebanese populace.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported on Tehran’s plans to send a representative to a new mechanism intended to monitor the ceasefire in Lebanon. This development follows an understanding reached with the United States during discussions in Switzerland.

The conflict has taken a severe toll on Lebanon, with Israeli military offensives resulting in over 4,000 deaths, injuring more than 12,000 individuals, and displacing over 1 million residents since the conflict escalated on March 2, as reported by Lebanese authorities. Furthermore, Israel persists in occupying areas in southern Lebanon, some of which have been held for decades, while others were seized during the recent 2023-2024 war.